Witkowski, Luke

The USHL has announced their lineups for the 2009 USHL Prospects/All-Star Game to be held February 4 in Sioux Falls. Lightning prospect and Western Michigan University commit Luke Witkowski was named to the defensive squad for the West Division.

Teams are selected by a vote from league coaches.

Witkowski, a 2008 6th round pick, stands 6'2" and weights 200 pounds. The Force captain leads all Fargo defensemen in scoring with three goals and 10 points in 29 games this season. He also leads all Force players - and is fifth in the league among defensemen - in plus/minus with a plus-15 rating. He is second in the league among defensemen behind teammate Steve Spinnell (undrafted, Miami Univ. commit) in penalty minutes with 76.

Last season, Witkowski scored 13 points (3 goals) in 59 games with the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets - his first in the USHL. Luke will begin his collegiate career at WMU next fall.

Team Canada Notes:
Canada called in Evander Kane, a BP favorite and teammate of Lightning prospect James Wright in Vancouver, to presumably take the spot of the injured Dana Tyrell. Tyrell suffered a "significant" knee injury Friday night in an exhibition game vs. Sweden and his tournament officially over.

Also, Canada coach Pat Quinn said the goaltenders' peformance Friday night did not sway him one way or another on a starter. Dustin Tokarski (0 GAA Friday) and Chet Pickard (2 GAA Friday) will go into today's game neck and neck.

Courtnall goes into the Christmas break with a clear future (Boston University in the fall) and the Grizzlies scoring lead. He is 13th in league scoring. Powellâ€™s Darcy Oakes, 31-38-69 in 39 games, is 19 points ahead of anyone else in the league. The 6-0, 175-pound Oakes is a 20 year old winger from Ontario.

> The biggest statement in the battle between John Tavares and Victor Hedman was made by Dana Tyrell.

While the rock-solid forward won't supplant either of those players as the top pick in next year's draft - Tyrell signed a three-year contract with Tampa Bay last week - he made the biggest impact on Friday night.

Tokarski performed well after replacing division rival Chet Pickard at the halfway point of the game. He would allow John Tavares' second and third goals of the game.

Tyrell lined up on a checking unit with big Rimouski center Patrice Cormier (New Jersey) and Atlanta prospect Angelo Esposito. Known as a scorer for the Montreal Juniors, TSN reported Esposito was being tried in a two-way role next to shut-down expert Cormier and the defensive savvy Tyrell.